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Profile of a Whistle-Blower: Former FAA Lawyer David Pardo

By Eric Lipman

Seeing as how the busy holiday travel season is upon us, you might be interested in reading the profile of pilot and former Federal Aviation Administration attorney David Pardo, posted yesterday on the Lawyers and Settlements blog. Pardo's whistle-blowing was related to the FAA's interpretation of fatigue rules for mechanics and dispatchers. After the crash of a Colgan Air plane in February 2009, Pardo claims the FAA sought to change its interpretation of those rules, all hush-hush-like, without the required public notice and comment period. And Pardo did not think that was OK. Here's what followed: "Once I raised concerns internally regarding the refusal to adhere to regulatory procedures, the FAA engaged in a retaliation campaign against me. Firstly, the day after I sent an e-mail stating the law required certain things and I wouldn't sign off on it, my boss agreed with me; she presumed the FAA would proceed with Notice-and-Comment. "Secondly, that same day, there was a hostile and intimidating conversation in my office with my direct supervisor, who objected to my e-mail. Thirdly, three weeks later, the FAA issued an identical letter without Notice-and-Comment. One month after that, I received a low-performance evaluation. I objected with the...

Full post as published by Legal Blog Watch on November 10, 2010 (boomark / email).